Hello from Abu Dhabi!

In January, we went to Bahrain, but I didn't have any internet access at my hotel (ug!) and I didn't take any photos.  Oops!

But, now it's February, and we are back in United Arab Emirates - only this time, it's Abu Dhabi.

 

Today, we took a bus tour and went to a mosque.  In order to get in the mosque, I had to cover all my hair and wear long sleeves.  The boys could wear ball caps and t-shirts...but heaven forbid I show my wrists.  Shocking!   Either way, this is not a good look for me. 

 

The mosque sure is pretty, though. 

 

In order to go inside, I gotta take my shoes off.

 

This is the male praying room.  That golden tower in the center points toward Mecca, so the know which way to face when they pray.

Outside the female praying room...and the bathroom is this fun little room filled with feet washing stations.  Before you pray, you are supposed to be purified.  You wash your face, hands, privates and your feet.

And, they had a few rows of those toilets I used a few times in Japan.  They are a pretty, ceramic hole in the ground.  Not my favorite.

I can't imagine why anyone would use a hole-in-the-ground toilet when the other kind are available.



 

After the mosque, we went to a revolutionary self-sustaining community.  The University section is the first section built.

It has electric cars that get you all thru the complex - there was no driving!  It was like the Jetsons - you told the car where you wanted to go and it went!  Super cool!

 

 

The buildings were all built with solar panels on the roof and special decoration on the sides that let light in...but didn't let the sun beat down into the windows. 

 

 

There was this massive wind tunnel machine that uses only wind power to cool a courtyard.  And, it really did.  It was almost like walking into a refrigerator.  Then, the breeze comes from between the buildings and spreads the cool air around.

 

Gardens on the roof and underground electric car "tracks," eco-friendly construction.  And, it's only just begun. 

It reminds me a lot of the purpose behind EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) at Walt Disney World. 

 

Bye for now!

Hello from the Tallest Building in the World!

The Birch Kalifa is the tallest building in the world.  I'm not sure if it still maintains that title, but it's pretty close!

 

Our ticket was to the 125th floor.  Then, whoosh!  The elevator kept going!  Oops, so we got to get a quick peek at the rich people who pay $200 extra dollars to go to the 148th floor. 

 

Now, we're back on the 124th floor, this is the view looking up.  Amazing, right?!?

 

And, this is the view looking down.  Beautiful!

 

 

This is me and my two liberty buddies - Deb and Rebekah.

 

After this, it was time to get in line to go back down to the bottom.  It was over an hour!  And, we missed our dinner reservation.  Nuts! 

CARL VINSON Bake Shop!

 

Okay, so I showed you some of the amazing flowers my guys have made out of veggies, here's a little glimpse at some of the cakes that come out of our Bake Shop.

 

 

We make cakes for everything - regular meals, every holiday, different celebrations that an individual division might be having (retirement, reenlistment...)

 

 

Most of the photos I have are from holidays, but you can see as time goes on that they are getting better!

 

 Celebrate the Navy's 239th Birthday!

 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

We had some very impressive Thanksgiving celebrations - on the Mess Decks, in Wardroom 1/2, Wardroom 3 and the Chief's Mess.



We do an awesome Carrier cake when we have receptions.  This is a practice cake...and by the time you are done piping all that icing...you can't even use your hand!  

 

Our Stupid Bowl celebration was incredible.  We filled the hangar bay with chairs, set up a bunch of food tents and had a real tailgater!  Sans beer, of course, but the food was off the charts and the game was a good one!  (Or so I heard!)



 

We also have the capability to print edible photos.